The Dispersion of Liquids Using Centrifugal and Electrostatic Forces

A 5-cm diameter aluminum disk which may be spun at speeds of up to 10 000 r/min is used to disperse hydrocarbon oils. An electrostatic field may be set up at the edge of the disk by ralsing the potential of a concentric ring elctrode to several kilovolts. The liquid dispersion process from the edge of the disk is studied in the presence of dominant electrostatic forces, dominant centrifugal forces, and a combination of both forces. The duality of the electrostatic and the centrifugal dispersion processes is discussed.